Wlre-fabrlc machine



Patented Apr. 4, I899.

0. E. WARNER. WIRE FABBIGMAGHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 24, 1898.)

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(No Model.)

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Patented Apr. 4. I899.

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WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 24, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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WIRE FABRIC MACHINE. 6

(Application filed Sept; 24, 1898.)

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Patented Apr. 4, i899.

0. E. WARNER. W'IBE FABRIC MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 24, 1898.)

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(No Modal.)

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No. 622,406. Patented Apr. 4, 1899. c. E. WARNER. WIREY" FABRIC MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 24, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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Tm. Nam-us PETERS co. vno'rrrumou mam No. 622,406. Patented Apr. 4, I899. c. E. WARNER.

WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 24, 1898.) No Model.) l0 Sheets8heei 6.

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No. 622,406. Patented Apr. 4, I899. c. E. WARNER. WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 24, 1898.)

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Wih zsszs No. 622,406. Patented Apr. 4, I899.

' G. E. WARNER.

WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 24, 1898.)

l0 Sheets-Sheet 8.

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, A V/ B Wih zsses No. 622,406. Patented Apr. 4, I899.

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WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 24, 1895.)

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No. 622,406. Patented Apr. 4, I899. G. E. WARNER. WIRE FABRIC MACHINE.

(Application filed Sept. 24, 1898.)

l0 Sheets-Sheet ID.

(No Model.)

Wiigesszs Mm rrza TAJTES rarest CHARLES E. WVARNER, OF WAVERLY, KANSAS ASSIGNOR TO EDWARD F.

- SHELLABERGER, OF DE KALB, ILLINOIS.

WIREI-FABRIC MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 622,406, dated April 4, 1899; Application filed September 24, I898. Serial No. 691.807. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES E. WARNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vaverly, in the county of Coffey and State of Kansas, have invented a new and useful VVire-Fabric Machine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is a machine for makingwire fabrics especially designed for use as wire fencing; and the object in'view is to provide a machine by which the stay or cross filling wires may be introduced in proper relation to the longitudinal strands and at regular intervals from each other and the cross or fillin g wires are interlocked by substantial joints with the intermediate strands and are twisted securely at their ends around the selvage-' table twisters in the intervals between the plungers, and pairs of stationary coacting jaws in the vertical planes of the twisters and operating in unison therewith to bend or defiect the cross or filling wire around-the intermediate longitudinal strands as the twisters are rotated on their longitudinal axes; a knife mechanism for the cross or filling wire, which remains stationaryduring the feeding of the cross-wire and the operation of the looper mechanism andwhich is actuated positively to out OK the proper length of the filling-wire before the fence fabric is drawn or passed through the machine; selvage-carriers and twisters for the ends of the cross filling-wire and which are advanced in'a direction of the fence fabric at the proper interval and are engaged with the ends of the cross filling-wire to twist the latter around the selvage-wires in said carriers; a fabric feed mechanism embracing a step-by-step rotatable drum and 7 feed plungers, which Work in unison with the tubular selvage-carriers, the latteroperating to twist the ends of the cross filling-wire around the selvage-wires; a clencher-press, situated adjacent to the looper mechanism and in the path of the cross filling-wire, to engage with the latter after it shall have been interlocked and twisted with the strands or cables, and such clencher-press being actuated positively to forcibly close and press the series of loops around the longitudinal strands or cables to make tight joints therewith; a

tension device for the intermediate longitudinal strands arranged to operate in a manner to ease the strain on the strands or cables when the fabric is advanced and to exert pull unison for the automatic and continuous pro-' duction of the completed fabric; and the invention further consists in the novel combination of elements and in the construction and arrangement of parts, Which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

To enable others to understand the invention, I have illustrated a preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which Figure l is a plan View of a wire-fabric machine constructed in accordance with my invention, the front end of such machine-being in horizontal section on a plane above the winding-reel. Fig. 2 is an elevation looking at the right-hand side of the machine repre-.

is a vertical transverse sectional elevation on a plane contiguous to the looper mechanism and the clencher-press mechanism, together with the intermittent feed mechanism for the cross filling-wire, the plane of section being indicated by the dotted line 5 5 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 6 is another vertical transverse section on a planeadjacent to the main driving-shaft to illustrate the several cams thereon and showing the means by which the tubular selvage'carriers are reciprocated and the tension device for the intermediate cables or strains is actuated, the plane of the section being indicated by the dotted line 6 6 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction indicated by the arrow. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation on the plane indicated by the dotted line 7 7 of Fig. 1 through the stationary boxing and twisters of the looper mechanism and illustrating the clencher-press mechanism. Fig. Sis an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view through the rotatable twisters of the looper mechanism, the plane of section being indicated by the dotted line 8 Sci Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a similar transverse section on.the plane indicated by the dotted line 9 9 of Fig. 7 and illustrating the stationary jaws in their relation to the twisters and portions of the plungers forming the looper mechanism, said view also illustrating the position of one of the cross filling-wires previous to the rotation of the twisters for interlocking said cross fillingwire with the cables or strands. Fig. 10 is a View similar to Fig. 9, but showing the plungers of the looper mechanism in their raised positions to deflect or bend the cross fillingwire in the intervals between the rotatable twisters and the jaws which coact therewith. Fig. 11 is another similar sectional view, but showing the plungers in their lowered positions, the twisters after they have been rotated to interlock the cross filling-wire with the cables or strands and with the jaws in engagement with the looped portions of the cross filling-wire, this view also illustrating the twisting of the end portions of said cross filling-wire with the selvage-strands. Fig. 12 is a detail end elevation showing the receiving end of the machine-fra1ne with the winding-reel and its associated devices, together with the guide devices for the selvage and intermediate strands or cables. Fig. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation of the clutch-controlled gear by which the cross-wirefeed mechanism is actuated intermittently from a driving-lever actuated by the main shaft. Fig. 1st is a vertical sectional elevation of the clutch-controlled gear shown by Fig. 13. Fig. 15 is an enlarged detail fragmentary section of one of the heads forming a part of the winding-reel to illustrate the detachable connection of the reel-bars to the reel-head. Fig. 1G is a diagrammatic detail elevation of the means by which the guide-plate for the cross filling-wire may be actuated automatically and be lifted out of the path of the crosswire after the latter has been locked with the longitudinal strands or cables for the purpose of retracting the guide-plate previous to advancing or feeding the fabric through the machine. Fig. 17 is a detail perspective view of one of the lifting-levers, which is designed to be operatively connected to one of the plungers of the looper mechanism and to be actuated from a cam-shaft which controls the looper-plungers, the knife mechanism, and the movable head of the clencher-press. Fig. 18 is a detail perspective view of the swinging guide-plate for the cross filling-wire and which lies adjacent to the plungers and twisters of the looper mechanism. Fig. 19 is a detail perspective view of one of the tubular selvage-carriers and twisters for the end of a cross filling-wire and showing the feed-bar associated therewith by which the fence fabric may be in part advanced in the direction of the lengthof the machine. Fig. 20 is an enlarged detail sectional elevation through the reel-driving shaft and the spring-controlled friction-clutch therefor. Fig. 21 is a detail perspective view of one of the series of the rotatable twisters. Fig. 22 shows views in elevation illustrating the mutilated bevel-gears on the main driving-shaft and the longitudinal counter-shaft, respectively, to show the peculiar formation of the working faces of said gears by which the counter-shaft is driven intermittently. Fig. 23 is a fragmentary detail of the means for reciprocating the tubular selvage-carriers and twisters for the ends of the cross filling-wire. Figs. 24 to 27, inclusive, are enlarged diagrammatic views illustrating the several positions of a pair of the twisters and the plunger, working in the interval between said pair of twisters and two pair of the jaws, such views illustrating the various steps in the formation of interlocking the cross [illing-wire with two adjacent strands or cables. Fig. 28 is a fragmentary elevation of the knife mechanism by which the proper length of the cross filling-wire is cut off subsequent to the interlocking of such filling-wire with the longitudinal strands and previous to the advancement of the fabric to permit the tubular selvage-carriers to twist the ends of such cross filling-wire around the'strands and to present the looped filling-wire and the strands in proper position to the bed and movable jaw of the clencher-press for the latter to tightly clench the cross looped filling-wire around the strands. Fig. 29 is a detail fragmentary elevation of the driving-lever by which the clutch-controlled gear for the crosswire-feed mechanism is actuated from a cam on the main driving-shaft. Fig. 30 is a detail fragmentary view of one of the levers, cams, and connecting-rods for the movable head of the clencher-press. Fig. 31 is a detail perspective view of one of the fixed guide-fingers for the cross filling-wire, which finger lies adjacent to one of the tubular selvagecarriers and the looper mechanism. Fig. 32

is a detail fragmentary section of a part of the stationary boxing and housing and the swinging guide-plate, which'is hinged to said boxing or housing, the dottedlines representing the raised position of said guide-plate. Fig. 33 is a detail elevation, on a reduced scale, of the rocking tension devicefor the intermediate strands .or cables and illustrating the means by which this tension device is operated automatically. Fig. 34 is an en the figures of the drawings to sustain the several operating mechanisms of the machine; but as the details ofthis main frame may be varied by the skilled constructor in many respects I do not deem it necessary to specifically describe each pari of this main frame except as it relates to the operating mechanisms, as will hereinafter appear. The power necessary for the operation of the machine is communicated to a suitable power-shaft 2, which is arranged transversely across the machine near its front end and is journaled in proper hearings on the frame -1, and, as represented more clearly by Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, this shaft 2 is equipped with the powerpulley 3, around which travels the belt 4, adapted to be. driven from an overhead line of shafting. (Not shown.)

5 designates the main driving-shaft, which is arranged transversely across the machine, contiguous to the power-shaft 2, and is journaled in proper bearings on the frame, and this driving-shaft carries a plurality of cams, a pair of sprocket-gears, and a driving connection for the take-up drum, whereby all of the mechanisms of the machine may be actuated from the main shaft 5. This main'driving-shaft is operatively connected with the power-shat t 2 throughthe intermeshing gears (5 6, secured, respectively, to the power-shaft and the main shaft, (see Figs-1, 2, and 6,) and this main shaft in turn drives a longitudinal counter-shaft 7, which is arranged between the sides of the frame 1, near the lefthand side thereof, (see Figs. 1, 5, and 6,) said counter-shaft being journaled in bearings 8, I

tilated bevel-gear 12 is secured to the end of The driving bevel-pinion 9 is secured in ing face of said bevel-gear 12, the blank spaces 13 between the series of teeth lying at diametrically opposite sides of the bevel-gear. In the rotation of the main driving-shaft the driving bevel-gear 9 engages with one series of teeth 14 on the bevel-gear 12 of the counter-shaft 7 to partially rotate the countershaft on each complete revolutionof the main driving-shaft, and on the next complete revolution of the driving-shaft the teeth 11 of the driving bevel-gear 9 mesh with the other series of teeth 14 on the driven bevel-gear 12, whereby the counter-shaft is actuated intermittently and progressively to be turned one complete revolution on its axis as the main driving-shaft makes two revolutions. In the intervals between the semirevolution ofthe counter-shaft the blank faces 10 and 13 of the two gears 9 12 are opposed to each other, and thus the counter-shaft remains at rest and in alocked position while the main driving-shaft completes its-rotation, whereby, the countershaft is adapted to actuate the reciprocating rack-bar for the twisters of the looper mechanism in unison with the several working elements of the machine.

To support the rotatable twisters and the stationary jaws which coact therewith and which twisters and jaws form elements of the looper mechanism, I employ a stationary boxing or housing 15, which is arranged transversely across the machine at a suitable place between the take-up drum and the windingreel. This boxing or housing is represented by-Figs. 1 to 5 and 7 to 11, inclusive, and, as shown more clearly by Fig. 7, said housing comprises a front plate 16, a back plate 17, and a bed-plate 18, all of which are secured firmly in place in a suitable way on the main frame. The. front and back plates of the housing are spaced in parallel relation to accommodate between themselves the series of rotary twisters and the rack-bar by which the twisters have axial movement imparted theret0,'and said plates 16 17 are provided with series of openings19, which are in alinement with each other to constitute the journal-openings 19 for the series of twisters 20. (See Figs. 1, 4, 7, 8, and 21.) Each twister consists of a shaft 21, a gear 22, having the journals 23, and the longitudinal grooves 24 24 in diametrically opposite faces of the twister-shaft, and each twister has its journals 23 fitted loosely in the openings or bearings 19 of the two housing-plates, so as to support said twister in the boxing or housing without permitting its grooved shaft 21 to bear in said openings 19, (see Fig. 7,) whereby the wires forming each strand or cable may slide or travel through the grooved shaft of the twister without coming in contact with the boundary-walls of the journal-openings in which the twister is mounted. The series too of twisters are arranged in the same horizontal plane within the boxing or housing for the purpose of having the toothed edge 26 of a driving rack-bar 25 mesh or engage therewith for the purpose of simultaneously rotating all the twisters of the series, and this driving rack-bar is arranged to travel in openings 27 at the extremities of the boxing or housing (see Fig. 8) and also to rest upon the extensions or brackets 28, which support the boxing or housing in a fixed position on the frame and also maintain the driving rack-bar in parallel relation to the series of twisters to attain the proper intermeshing of the gears and rack-bars. The driving rack-bar 25 is reciprocated at suitable intervals from the longitudinal counter-shaft 7 by the operative connections illustrated by Fig. 5. A drivinglever 29 is disposed in a vertical position at the right-hand side of the machine, and it is fulcrumed at its foot to a fLliOl'UDl-blOCk 30, fixed to one of the base-sills of the main frame. The end of the counter-shaft 7 which is remote from the main driving-shaft 5 terminates substantially in the vertical plane of the rack-bardriving lever 29, and to this end of the shaft 7 is fixeda crank-arm 32, adapted to rotate with the shaft. The upper extremity of the driving-lever 29 is connected to one end of the rack-bar 25 by a link 33, having its ends pivoted, respectively, to the rack-bar and the driving-lever, and the crank-arm 32 of the eountershaft 7 is connected with this driving-lever by a pitman 34. One end of the pitman 34 is pivoted, as at 35, to the crankarm 32, and the other end of said pitman is pivoted, as at 37, to a sleeve 36, which is slidably fitted on the driving-lever 29 and is adapted to be made fast thereon by the hind ing-screws 38, which are carried by the sleeve and adapted to impinge against the lever 2.). The throw or movement of this driving-lever 29 may be varied by shifting the adjustingsleeve 36 toward or from the fulcrum of said lever, and thus the length of the stroke of the reciprocating rack-bar 25 may be varied to rotate the twisters 20 more or less, while the rocking of the longitudinal counter-shaft remains constant; but the binding-screws 38 are adapted to hold the adjustable sleeve 36 firmly in proper position on the driving-lever 29.

The ends of the twisters 20 open through the face of the back plate 17, forming a part of the transverse boxing or housing 15, as shown by Figs. 7 to 11, inclusive, and two series of 1 jaws 39 t0 are disposed adjacent to these exposed rear ends of the twisters, as shown more clearly by Fig. 9. The upper series of jaws 39 are secured in a suitable way to the housing-plate 17 to lie above the exposed ends of the twister-shafts 21, while the other series of jaws 40 are also secured to the housingplate 17, and they assume positions below the exposed ends of the twister-shaf ts. The jaws of each series are fixed to the housing-plate 17 in the same horizontal plane, and the two series of jaws are arranged in close relation to the twister-shafts 21, so as to leave narrow spaces between the twister-shaft and the opposing faces of the jaws, in which spaces the loops of the cross filling-wire are adapted to be drawnby the partial rotation of the twisters so as to bring the looped portions of the cross filling-wire in engagement with said jaws, whereby the jaws serve to deflect the looped filling-wire into contact with the wires of the cables or strands and insure the proper bending of the cross filling-wire around the strand-wires, as represented by Fig. 11. The jaws 39 40 are disposed in pairs on opposite sides of the horizontal plane of the twistershaft, and the jaws of each pair lie in the same vertical plane with the twister-shaft, which is disposed between their working faces.

It will be understood that the several pairs of stationary jaws and the rotatable twisters constitute in part the looper mechanism, and the remaining elements of this looper mechanism of my machine are formed by a series of reciprocating plungers 41, which are arranged in the intervals between the pairs of jaws and the twisters, so as to reciprocate across the horizontal space between the workin g faces of the jaws and the horizontal plane of the rotatable twister-shafts, whereby the plungers, after the filling-wire shall have been introduced between the wires forming the cables or strands, are adapted to act on the filling-wire so as to bend the latter at a number of points between the series of twisters, as shown by Fig. 10, preliminary to the rotation of the twisters for the formation of the loops which are designed to be interlocked with the wires forming the intermediate strands or cables. These plungers have stems 44, which are slidably fitted in and guided by openings -12, formed in the bed-plate 18 of the housing or boxing, and each plunger is formed with an enlarged head 43, which may be grooved to insure the proper engagement of the plunger-head with the filling-wire. The plungers are normally depressed below the horizontal plane of the twister-shafts and the working faces of the jaws by coiled springs 45, which are fitted loosely on the plunger-stems to have their upper ends seated against the housing bed-plate 18, while the lower ends of said springs rest upon collars 45, which are secured to the plunger-stems at points intermediate of their length. (See Fig. The plungers of this looper mechanism are positively raised at the proper interval in the operation of the machine by aseries of levers 47, which are arranged in the same horizontal plane immediately above the base of the main frame 1. These levers are entirely independent one from the other, and at their rear ends they are 11 Ling loosely on aeommon pivot-shaft 48, which is arranged transversely across the machine near the take-up drum, and this shaft is mounted in suitable pillow-blocks 4-0, secured to the base of the machine-frame. One

of these levers 47is represented by Fi 17 of IIO the drawings as having a slotted and perforated heel to properly fit on the pivotal shaft 48. The lever is also provided with a forked free end to receive the lower. extremity of one of the plunger-stems, and at a point intermediate of its length this lever is slotted and provided with a cam-shoe 47 a to receive a cam on the cam-shaft, said lever. being held in proper relation to its cam by means of the guide-lugs 47 all as clearly shown by Fig. 17; The lower ends of the series of plungerstems are provided with collars 50, which rest upon the fork ed free ends of the lifting-levers 47, and the lower extremities of saidplungerstems are loosely fitted in a guide-bar 51,

which is suitably secured to the base of the main frame. The vplungers are thus guided by having their stems slidably fitted in the bed-plate 18 and the guide-bar 51, and these plungers are adapted to be positively lifted by the action of the lever 47, against which act a series of cams on a cam-shaft 52. This cam -shaft is arranged transversely across the machine below the series oflevers 47, and it is journaled in bearings 58, which are secured to the base of the main frame 1. The shaft 52 has a series of lifting-cams 54, which are disposed in corresponding positions in relation to each other and are spaced at proper intervals to ride against the camshoes of the levers 47, said cams arranged to play in the spaces between the guide-lugs 47 of the lifting-levers, so that the levers cannot assume positions out of line with the cams. This cam-shaft 52 has one end thereof extended or projected beyond the bearing 53 at the left-hand side of the machine, and to this extended end of said shaft is secured a sprocket-wheel 55, which is driven by an endless sprocket-chain 56 from a sprocket-wheel 57 on the end of the main driving-shaft 5, whereby the cam-shaft is rotated continuously and its cams actuate the lifting-levers at proper intervals to raise the plungers 41.

The series of rotatable twisters are designed to carry the intermediate strands or cables which are to be joined by interlocking looped connections with the cross fillingwires; butthe longitudinal selvage-strands are fed or carried through the machine without permitting them to come'in engagement with the intermediate strands or cables by a pair of tubular selvage-carriers 58,-which isolate the selvage strands or cables from the intermediate cables. The tubular selvage-carw riers are in the form of hollow shafts arranged in substantially horizontal positions on opposite sides of the series of twisters and near the side beams of the main frame, and these tubular selvage-carriers are peculiarly constructed and operated \for the purpose of twisting the ends of the cross filling-wire around the selvage-wires, whereby the selvage-carriers serve in a dual capacity to maintain the selvage-wires atthe proper distance apart and to twist the ends of the filling-wires around the selvage wires. The longitudinally-disposed selvage-carricr shafts 58 arefitted loosely in openings 59,which are formed in the transverse box or housing 15 at points beyond the journal-openings for the series of twister-shafts, and these openings 59 for. the

tubular selvage-carriers and cross-wire twisters lie in the horizontal plane of the journalopenings 19, so that all the strands or cables of the fence fabric may lie in the same horizontal plane as said strands are carried through the machine. The rear ends of the tubular selvage-carriers and cross-wire twisters 58 are supported in the openings 59 of the boxing or housing, so that said carriers and twisters 58 may rotate freely ontheir longitudinal axes, and also reciprocate endwise in the direction of their length within said opening, and the front ends of these tubular carriers and twisters 58 are supported by rocking arms 60. The means for supporting the front ends of the tubular carriers and twisters '58 and for reciprocating the same are shown by Figs. 6 and 23, by reference to which it will be seen that the levers 60 are rigidly secured to a transverse rocking shaft GLWhlOll is supported in suitable bearings 62 on the sides of the mainframe. The upper ends of the long arms 78 of said rocking levers 60 are pivotally attached at 63 to sleeves 64, which loosely embrace the hollow shafts forming the carriers and twisters 58,and said hollow shafts are thus mounted in the sleeves 64 to be rotated freely therein by the means presently described. With these reciprocating hollow shafts 58, which form the selvage-carriers and filling-wire twisters, are associated the feedbars 65, that assist the take-up drum in advancing or feeding the fabric through the machine after the filling-wire shall have been interlocked with the intermediate cables or strands. These feed-bars 65 lie alongside of .the hollow shafts 58, and they play idly through openings 66, which are formed in the transverse boxing or housing 15 in positions between the end twisters of the series and the hollow shaft 58. The free ends of the feedbars where they protrude in rear of the boxing or housing have the notches 67, as shown more clearly by Fig. 19, to enable said feedbars to properly engage with the cross-wire after it is interlocked with the longitudi nal strands and onthe rearward movement of the carriers and twisters 58. These feedbars are loosely connected with the carriers and twisters 58 to travel therewith; but such connection does not permit the feed-bars to rotate with the twisters and carriers 58,which are driven continuously in one direction by suitable driving devices. As shown more clearly by Fig. 19, the feed-bars are provided at their front ends with the loose sleeves 68, which are fitted loosely on the tubular carriers and twisters 58, so as to permit the latter to rotate freely within the sleeves, and the travel of the feed-bar, with the carriers and twisters, is effected by means of the collars 69, secured on the carriers and twisters 'IIO at opposite ends of the sleeves 68. The means for rotating the tubular shafts 58 consist of the pulleys 7 O, which are keyed at 71 to said shafts 58 in order to permit the pulleys to travel on the shafts when the latter are impelled by cams on the main driving-shaft 5,and around these pulleys 70 pass the drivin g-belts 72, which are driven from pulleys on an overhead line of shafting. (Not shown.) These belts and pulleys serve to rotate the hollow shafts S continuously in one direction; but said shafts 58 are reciprocated at intervals by cam connections with the shaft 5. The cams 73 are rigidly secured on the shaft 5 in positions adjacent to the short arms of the rocking levers 60, and these short arms are preferably provided with friction-rollers 77, which are arranged to ride upon the cams, so as to vibrate or rock the levers 60 in a manner to force the sleeves 64: against the collars 7%, which are fast with the hollow shafts 58.

The endwise movement of the hollow shaft 58 in both directions is effected positively by the rocking levers 60, which are driven by the cams 73, and the sleeves 6t are arranged to travel or play between the stop-collars 74, secured to said tubular shafts 58. These hollow shafts 58 are slidably fitted in bearings of standards '75 secured to the transverse beam 85 of the main f ram e,whereby the standard 75, the openings 59 in the boxing orhousing, and the rocking arms or levers U0 serve to support the selvage-carrier and filler-wiretwisting shafts properly in the machine. The protruding rear end of this carrierand twister shaft 58 is provided with inclined notches or faces 7.), which terminate in shoulders 80, arranged at diametrically opposite sides of the shaft, and after the filling-wire has been twisted with the strands of the twisters and said filling-wire has been severed by the action of the knife mechanism the shoulders of these carrier and twister shafts 58 are caused to engage with the ends of said fillingwire, so that the shafts will twist the ends of the filling-wire around the selvage-wires, as shown by Fig. 11.

It will be understood that the tubular carrier and twister shafts 58 are maintained in their retracted positions during the operation of looping the cross filling-wire around the intermediate strands, so that the notched ends of the shaft 58 will be free from engagement with the cross filling-wire; but when the said shafts 58 are reciprocated by the cams and two-armed rocking levers the feed-bars (35 and the shafts are advanced to engage with the cross filling-wire, whereby the notched ends of the feed-bars move the filling-wire from a position between the jaws 3!) t0, and the shouldered ends of the rotary shafts 58 engage with the ends of the filling-wire to twist the same around the selvage-wire.

I will now proceed to describe the mechanism by which the length of wire to form the cross filling-wire maybe introduced between the wires forming the intermediate cables or Fig. 24.

strands, and in this connection I desire to call attention to the fact that the pairs of wires forming such intermediate cables are held in spaced parallel positions by the pairs of grooves in the twister-shaf ts, so that the cross or filling wire may readily be introduced and passed between the pairs of wires of the intermediate strands when the twisters and plungers are in the positions indicated by the full View, Fig. 9, and the diagrammatic view, This cross-wire feed mechanism has a bracket or frame 81, which is erected or supported at the left-hand side of the machineframe, as shown by Fig. 5, and on this bracket is rigidly secured a vertically-slotted,or open standard 82, which is adapted to carry bearing-blocks 83 84. (Indicated bydotted lines in said Fig. 5.) The transverse beam 85 on the machine-frame in advance of the boxing or housing is also provided with a pair of bearings that lie in substantially the horizontal plane of the bearings 83 St in the standard S2, and in these pairs of bearings are journaled horizontal shafts 86 87, which are disposed longitudinally of the machine, at the left-hand side thereof. The shaft 86 is designed to be driven positively by clutch-controlled connections with a cam on the main driving-shaft 5, and this shaft 80 is geared, through the intermeshing gears 80, with the shaft 87, whereby the shaft 56 serves to drive the shaft 87, and the two shafts 86 87 are ro tated in opposite directions simultaneously at uniform speed. The ends of the shafts adjacent to the boxing or housing are provided with the feed-rolls Se 8!), which are disposed one above the other and closely together, so as to grip and feed the wire which passes between their working faces, and the bearing for the upper shaft 87 is arranged to have a limited sliding movement in the standard 82. This bearing, the shaft, and the feedroll 89 are normallypressed toward the feedroll 88 of the shaft 86 by means of alever 00, carrying the weight 91, and this lever is fulcrumed at 92 on the standard 82 and is co11- nected with an adjustable post 93, whereby the Weighted lever normally depresses the feedroll 87 to insure the proper frictional gripping of the filling-wire by the positively-driven rolls of the feed mechanism. The wire is led from a reel or bobbin through a train of idler guide-rolls 94,which are supported in the horizontal plane of the feed-rolls 88 Si) by a suitable frame 95. Tension devices 06 are disposed between the feed-rolls, the train of idler-rolls, and the knife mechanism, and the plates 96 of such tension devices are supported by standards 97, one of which is secured to the bracket 81 and the other to the bed-plate 18 of the boxing or housing. (See Fig. 5.) The adjustable clamping-plates 98 of the fillingwire tension devices are held upon the plates 96 by the bolts 99. The wire from the reel passes through the train of guide-rolls 9t, thence through one tension device, thence through the feed-rolls, and finally through the other tension device to the knife mech-' anism. The feed-rolls of the mechanism for the filling-wire are rotated positively at intervals, and when these rolls are at rest the feed-wire is not advanced to the twisters of the looper mechanism. The means for actuating the rotating shaft 80 of the filling-wire feed mechanism are shown by Figs. 1, 3, 13, and 14 of the drawings. On the shaft 86 is rigidlysecured a bevel gear-pinion 100, which meshes with the teeth of a clutch-controlled bevel-gear 101, which is rigidly mounted on a horizontal shaft 102, arranged transversely across the machine in an elevated position between the main driving-shaft 5 and the boxing or housing 15, as shown more clearly by Figs. 1, 3, and 40f the drawings. The clutch-controlled gear 101 is provided with an annular flange 103, (see Figs. 13 and 14,) and loosely fitted to the shaft 102, adjacent to the flanged face of this clutch-gear 101, is a clutch plate or hub 104, which is loosely mounted on the shaft 102. This clutch plate or hub carries a series of clutch-arms 105, which are disposed on that face of the plate or hub which is opposed to the flange of the gear 101, so that the clutch-arms lie in the vertical plane of the annular flange 103 and in position for their beveled outer extremities to engage with said flange. These clutch-arms are normally pressed toward the flange of the gear 101 by means of the coiled springs 106, so that as the plate or hub 104 is vibrated in one direction the 'clutclrarms 105 will fric tionally engage with the flange of the gear 101 to turn the latter positively in one direction; but the clutch-arms 105 are pivotally attached to the plate or hub 104 to insure the disengagement of said arms from the flange of the gear 101 when the plate or hub 104 is rocked in the reverse direction, whereby the clutch mechanism operates to rotate the shaft 102 with an intermittent or step-by-step feed, and hence the shafts 86 87 may be correspondingly actuated to allow the feed-rolls to remain at rest during the periodof the twisting of the filling-wire around the longitudinal strands. This loosely-mounted plate or hub 104 on the shaft 102 has an operating-arm 107, that extends radially therefrom and beyond the flanged edge of the gear 101, and this arm is provided with a series of transverse apertures 103, to either of which may be connected one end of a pitman 109 by means of a shiftable bolt 110. The pitman 109 is actuated positively by a driving-lever 111, which is disposedin a vertical position at the left-hand side of the machine and adjacent to the main drivingshaft 5. This driving-lever 111 isfulcrumed at its lower end to a fulcrum-block 112, fixed to one of the base-sills of the machine-frame, and on the upper end of said lever is fitted an adjustable collar 113, to which is pivoted, as at 114, the front end of the pitman 100, that actuates the clutch-plate or hub 104. This collar 113 is shiftable on the driving'lever 111 toward or from the fulcrum thereof to vary the throw or movement of the pitman 109, and consequently impart differential vibration or movement to the clutchplate or hub 104, according to the adjustment of the collar 113, and binding-screws 115 are mounted in this collar 113 to hold the same firmly in its adjusted position on .the drivinglever 111. The driving-lever is normally held by a coiled spring 111 in contact with a cam 111 which is secured to the end of the main driving-shaft 5, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4 and by full lines by Fig. 29, and this cam is arranged to positivelyimpel the lever 111 in one direction, while the spring 111*retracts the lever, so that the driving-lever is actuated to properly vibrate the clutch-c011- trolled gear which propels the shafts of the feed-rolls.

To properly direct the filling-wire from the feed mechanism to the pairs of wires of the intermediate strands or cables and to prevent the filling-wire when in position across the machine from lifting above a horizontal plane of the opening between the spaced jaws 39 40, the guide-fingers 116 are provided on the bed-plate 18 of the transverse housing. These guide-fingers are provided with the bases 117, as shown by Figs. 9, 10, 11, and'31, adapted to be secured rigidly to the bed-plate 1S, and the fingers 116 are curved upward and forward, so as to fit over the filling-wire and prevent it from lifting above the desired horizontal position. v

To properly direct the filling-wire when it is introduced transversely across the face of the housing to assume a position between the pairs of intermediate strands or cables from the rotary twister-shafts, I provide a ICO.

guide-plate 118, which is adapted to be .pre-

sented above the exposed ends of the twistershafts and to lie in the plane of the fence fabric,

and with this guide-plate are combined automatic adjusting devices for elevating said guide-plate and retracting the same out of the path of the fence fabric previous to the advancement or feed of such fabric through the machine,whereby the guide-plate is prevented from interfering with the advancing feed movement of the fabric. This guide-plate has a broad foot-flange 119, arranged to be presented edgewise in relation to the back plate 17 of the boxing or housing, andin the edge of this foot-flange is formed a longitudinal channel 120, which extends continuously of the guide-plate and is arranged to be coincident with a shallow channel 121 in the rear exposed face of the back plate 17 of said boxing 15. This guide-plate is hung or pivotally mounted on the boxing or housing to be lowered for its channel to coincide with the channel 121, so that the filling-wire may be guided or directed from the feed mechanism into proper position between the pairs of wires forming the cables or strands which are led through the twister-shafts, and when the guide-plate is lowered a complete groove or passage-way is provided between the chan- IIO nels 120 and 121 forthe passage of the fillingwire, such channel lying in a horizontal plane between the horizontal planes of the grooves in the twister-shafts,reference beinghad more particularly to Figs. 7 and As shown by Fig. 18, the broad foot-flange of the guideplate is notched or slotted to enable said flange to snugly lit upon the strands or cables when the plate is lowered, and thus the foot-flange of the guide-plate is adapted to lie in a horizontal of the fence fabric when lowered. This guideplate is provided with the supporting-ari'ns 122, which are arched to extend over and above the back housingplate 17, and these arms are pivotally attached at 123 to short posts 124, which rise a suitable height from the back housing-plate, whereby the guide-plate is supported by hinged connections on the transverse housing to be elevated a sufficient distance for its channeled and slotted foot to lie out of the path of the cables or strands and the filling-wire of the fence fabric. The guide-plate is provided at its ends with the trunnions 125, to which are connected the rear ends of the pitmen 126. (See Fig. 16.) These pitmen extend longitudinally of the machine, near the sides thereof, and at their rear ends they pass through eyes or bearings 129 of the rocking arms 127, the latter being rigidly attached to an idler rocking shaft 128, which is suitablysupported in hearings on the machineframe, these parts being more clearly represented by Figs. 6 and 16. The longitudinal pitmen or rods 126 are provided with stop-collars 130,whieh are adapted to impinge against the eyes 129 of the rocking arms 127, and on the rear ends of these pitm en or rods are fitted the coiled springs 131, which have their front ends seated against the arms 127 and their rear ends bearing against the nuts 132, which are screwed on the threaded rear extremities of the pitmen 126, whereby the tension of the springs may be regulated. The rocking shaft 128, which carries the arms 127 to actuate the swinging guide-plate, are provided with downwardly-curved levers 133, which are fast to said shaft 128, and on the free ends of these levers 133 are loosely mounted the friction-rolls 13.4, which ride upon cams 135, fast with the main driving shaft 5. Springs 136 are attached to the rocking arms 127 and to suitable projections on the frame in rear of said arms 127 and other S)lll'lE.IS

137 are attached to the levers 133 and to suitable places on the machine frame. The springs 137 are attached to the levers below the rock-shaft 128 and on the opposite side of the levers and arms from the springs 136, and these springs are arranged to control the rock-shaft, the levers, and the arms to pull the rods or pitmen 126 in a rearward direction and normally tend to elevate the hinged guide-plate 118 to its raised position above and out of the path of the cross-wire; but this tendency of the springs is counteracted by the cams 135, which ride against the levers 133 to hold the rods 126 in a position to lower the plate 118. This plate is held in its lowered position by the action of the cam 135 on the operative connections shown by Fig. 16 during the interval of the feed of the fillingwire across the twisters, and said plate re mains in its lowered position until the fillingw'ire is properly positioned between the pairs of strands or cables contained in the twistershafts. Previous to the rotation of the twistershafts or the advancement of the fabric by the feed mechanism provided therefor the high parts of the cams 135 clear the frictionrollers' 134 and permit the springs 136 137 to act through the arms 127 against the collars 130 and move the rods or pitmen 126 in a rearward direction, therebylifting the hinged plate 118 out of the path of the strands and filling-wire.

I will now proceed to describe the mechanism by which the looped sections of the filling wire are forcibly and tightly pressed around the strands to secure the firm interlocking of the filling-wire with the intermediate strands. This clenching of the looped filling-wire with the strands is effected by a press mechanism which is situated in rear of the looper mechanism and in the path of travel of the fabric, and this clencher-press mechanism is operated automatically to present its working parts into position for action on the looped filling-wire after it has been twisted with the intermediate strands and the fabric has been moved away from the looper mechanism a distance equivalent to the spacing of the filling-wires from each other. This clencher mechanism comprises a stationary press-bed 138, which is arranged transversely across the machine-frame in rear of and contiguous to the bed-plate 18 of the transverse housing, and the press-bed 138 is suitably fixed to the main frame to have its upper surface lie in a plane slightly below the path of the fabric when it is advanced through the machine, whereby the fabric and the filling-wires thereof travel over the press-bed. (See Fig. 7.) The movable head or jaw 13.) of the clencher-press is arranged in the vertical plane of the press-bed 138 and normally sustained above the horizontal path of the wire fabric, and this head or jaw is supported and actuated by devices which forcibly press the jaw or head upon the looped and twisted portions of the filling-wire, whereby the pressbed and the jaw or head coaet to tightly clench the loops and twisted portions of the looped and twisted filling-wire around the intermediate and selvage strands. The movable jaw or head is supported by vertical rods 140, which-are slidably fitted in suitable guides 140 of the main frame, and these rods guide the coiled lifting-springs 141, which are interposed between the movable head or jaw 130 and the guides of the rods 140, whereby the springs act against the jaw or head 139 to normally sustain the latter in a raised position free from the path of the fabric. The upper extremities of the rods 140 are threaded for the reception of adj usting-nuts 142, which may be rotated to regulate the tension of the springs and the position of the jaw or head 139 in relation to the press-bed 138. The lower ends of the head carrying and actuating rods 140 are connected with the free ends of the depressing-levers 143, (see Figs. 5 and 30,) and these depressing-levers lie in nearly the horizontal plane of the lifting-levers 47 ,which serve to elevate the plungers of the looper mechanism. The depressing-levers 143 are pivotally hung, as at 144, to the framing or pillow-blocks thereon, and these levers lie below the cam-shaft 52, near the ends thereof, as shown by Fig. 5. This shaft 52 is provided with a pair of cams 145, which are disposed in reversed or opposite positions to the cams,

54 on said shaft 52, which actuate the levers that control the looper-plungers. The cams 145 lie over the depressing-levers 143, and they act on the latter at diiferent periods of time from the action of the cams 54 on the levers of the looper-plungers, and thus the head or jaw of the clencher-press is depressed upon the filling-wire after the looper mechanism has its plungers raised to deflect the filling-wire for the twisters to loop said .wire around the wires of the intermediate strands.

I will now proceed to describe the automatic knife mechanism that severs the length of filling-wire after it has been introduced between the wires of the cables which form the intermediate strands, and this knife mechanism remains at rest during the feeding of the filling-wire to its position in the looper mechanism and while the latter mechanism is in action; but before the fabric is advanced to draw on the strands or cables and to move the filling-wire from the looper mechanism to the clencher-press this knife mechanism is actuated by its connections with the camshaft 52 to out off the proper length from the wire supplied by the feed mechanism, thus leaving both ends of the length of filling-wire free for the proper action of the hollow carrier and twister-shafts 58, said shafts serving to twist the ends of the length of filling-Wire around the selvage-wires, as heretofore described. The'knife mechanism is represented in detail by Fig. 28, and it consists principally of a fixed jaw 146 and a movable jaw 149. The jaw 146 is fixed to a part of the frame between the filling-wire feed mechanism and the transverse boxing or housing 15, and to properly direct the filling-wire from the feed mechanism to this jaw 146 of the knife mechanism one of the guide and tension devices 96 98 is arrangedin the position shown by Fig. 5 to guide the filling-wire from the rolls 88 89 directly to the jaw 146. This jaw is provided with a transverse wire-opening 147, and the movable jaw 149 is provided with a similar wire-opening 150, the opening 150 being preferably beveled or tapered, as shownby dotted lines in Fig. 5, so as to make the openings of the two jaws properly ooact in the severance of the length of filling-wire constituting the in the machine from that length of the wire have its heel extend below the lower edge of the fixed jaw, and said movable jaw is piv otally supported at 151, preferably on the fixed jaw, as shown by Fig. 28. To the lower end or heel of the pivoted swinging jaw is pivotally connected one end of a pitman 152, lying in a horizontal position above a part of the main frame, and to the rear end of this pitman is connected a retracting-spring 153, which is fastened in a suitable way to the main frame, so as to strain the pitman and maintain the movable jaw 149 normally in a position where its wire-opening 150 is coinci dent with the wire-opening 147 in the fixed jaw 146, thus maintaining the jaws of the knife mechanism in positions for the wire to pass freely therethrough. The movable jaw isactuated only at intervals for cutting the length of Wire from the section contained in the feed mechanism, and this movement of the jaw 149 is efiected positively by operative connections with a cam 156 on the cam-shaft 52. (See full lines in Fig. 28 and dotted lines in Fig. 3.) This cam acts on a vertically-disposed lever 154, whichis fulcrumed at a point intermediate of its length at 155 on the lefth'and side of the main frame, and the upper end of the cam-lever is pivoted, as at 155, to the pitman 152. (See Fig. 28.)

The Wires that form the intermediate cables or strands are fed in pairs from suitable reels to the twisters of the looper mechanism, and such wires should be arranged to have the members of the pairs parallel to each other and not twisted, to the end that the pairs of wires may be properly conducted through the grooved shafts of said twisters. The wires that form the selvage cables or strands are guided independently of the pairs of wires intermediate cables or strands, and the selvage strands may be twisted and barbed before they are fed to the tubular carrier and twister-shafts 58. The devices for directing the several wires from the reels are supported on an upright frame 157, erected at the front end of the machine, as shown by Figs. 2, 3, and 4. At its sides this frame supports the plates 159, which carry the groups of guide-rollers 160, around which are conducted the twisted or barbed selvage-wires, and these selvage-wires pass under guide-rollers 162, which are loosely journaled on the arms 161, fixed to the frame 1, at the sides thereof, to sustain the guiderollers 162 in the horizontal plane of the hollow carrier and twister-shafts 58, whereby the selvage-wires are properly directed to the shafts 58. Between the supporting-plates for the groups of selvage-wire guide-rollers is fixed a perforated guide-bar 163, that is arranged in a horizontal position and has its openings properly spaced apart to accommodate the pairs of wires which are drawn from the reels to constitute the intermediate strands or cables, and between this fixed guide-bar and the twisters is arranged the rocking tension device 1%, which is arranged in substantially the horizontal plane of said twisters and is disposed below the plane of the guide-bar 163 and contiguous to the latter. This tension device is in the form of a boxing having perforated flanges 165, the openings in which are arranged to receive and space apart the wires of the intermediate strands. This boxing carries the guide-rollers 166 between the perforated flanges, and the wires are led through the openings in the flanges and around the tension-rollers, as shown by Figs. 1 and 4. The boxing of the tension device is fixed rigidly to a pair of rocking arms 167, which are mounted on a pivotal shaft 168, suitably journaled on the main frame, and this shaft has an oflstanding lever-arm 169, arranged to ride upon a cam 170 on the main driving-shaft 5. Normally the tension device assumes a canted or tilted position in order that the perforated flanges and the rollers of the boxing will bind or impinge against the wires and exert the necessary tension on the intermediate strands or cables; but when the feed-bars G5 are moved in a rearward direction and the take-up drum is turned by the step-by-step feed mechanism to advance the fabric through the ma chine and draw the strands or cables through the twisters previous to the attachment of another filling-wire to such strands the leverarm is actuated by the cam 170 to turn the rock-shaft and arms, thereby moving the tension device to a horizontal position in the plane of the fence fabric and permitting the wires to be drawn freely through the tension device on the advancement or feed of the fabric, after which the tension device is turned to its canted or tilted position to strain the wires of the intermediate strands.

The feed or advancement of the fabric through the machine after the successive application of the filling-wires to the strandsis effected by the rotatable step-by-step feed of a take-up drum 171, assisted by the reciprocating feed-bars 65,which work in unison with the reciprocating play of the hollow carrier and twister-shafts 58. This take-u p drum 171 is arranged in a horizontal position across the rear end of the main frame, audit is carried by a horizontal shaft 172, which is journaled in bearings 173 on said frame 1. The drum has a pair or series of heads suitablyattached to the shaft and carrying a series of lags or bars 174, and each lag or bar is provided with a plurality of lugs 175 176,\vhich are arranged in groups or pairs to occupy staggered relations on the lags. Each strand-wire passes between a pair of the staggered lugs 175 170, (see Figs. 1 and 34,) and the lugs are spaced to occupy positions near the front and rear edges of the lags, so as to accommodate the filling-wires between themselves. Theselugs on the take-u p drum hold the strands or cables properly spaced on the take-up drum, and they also furnish the abutments or pawl-teeth with which the feedpawl is adapted to engage in order to turn' arms project a suitable distance above the drum to sustain a gravity feed-pawl178,which is hung 0r pivoted loosely to said ends of the arm, said feed-pawl arranged to drop by gravity upon the lags and engage with the lugs thereon. The rocking arm 177 on the righthand side of the machine is extended below the take-up-drum shaft to provide for the pivotal attachment of a pitman 17 9, which is arranged in a horizontal position at one side of the machine. This pitman is supported at a point intermediate of its length by a hanger 180, which is pivoted at 181 to the machineframe, and the extreme front end of this pitman, which actuates the feed-pawl for the take-up drum, is connected by a wrist-pin 182 in a variable manner to a crank-disk or one of a series of crank-arms carried by the main driving-shaft 5 to impart variable feed motion to the take-up drum, and thus vary the rate of feed of the fabric through the machine. The crank-disk 183 is secured rigidly to the driving-shaft, and it has a series of two or more radial arms 184, as represented by Fig. 2. These arms and the crank-disk have openings at different distances from the axis of the shaft 5 for the reception of the wristpin 182, which may be placed in any one of said openings of the disk or its arms, according to the angular movement it is desired to impart to the feed-pawl and through the latter determine the extent of rotation of the take-up drum. By placing the wrist-pin 182 in the opening farthest from the axis of the driving-shaft the maximum motion maybe given to the feed-pawl, and the movement of the take-up drum'is lengthened; but by shifting the wrist-pin to the opening nearest the driving-shaft the angular movement of the feed-pawl may be reduced and the takeup drum given its minimum movement.

After the fabric traverses the take-u p drum it is carried horizontally beneath the operating mechanisms of the machine and coiled on the winding-reel 185, which is situated at the front end of the machine. (See Figs. 1 to 4-,

inclusive.) This winding-reel has a two-part shaft 186 186", journaled in bearings 187, attached to the upright frame 157, and said reel is provided with the heads 188 and 18.) to receive the removable reel-bars 191, which are ICC) 

